How to dance in ohio full movie

Inspirational, heartwarming doc about living with autism.

NR 2015 89 minutes

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What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that How to Dance In Ohio is a documentary that centers on a group of high-functioning people on the autism spectrum preparing for the challenges and joys that come with attending a formal dance. Therapy and living with autism are central themes. The Amigo Counseling Center and its program are highlighted. There's nothing to worry about here, but some folks may be sensitive to some of the concerns expressed about living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

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What's the Story?

HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO is a documentary about a group of high-functioning teens and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) preparing for, and attending, a spring formal in Columbus, Ohio. Under the therapeutic guidance of clinical psychologist Emilio Amigo and his staff, folks such as 16-year-old Marideth Bridges, 19-year-old Caroline McKenzie, and 22-year-old Jessica Sullivan work on learning how to communicate and interact with others in various social settings. With the help of their families, Dr. Amigo, and other professionals, they spend 12 weeks preparing for a formal dance at a local night club organized by the Amigo Counseling Center to help them learn how to cope with the many anxieties they have about participating in the event, and they practice how to socialize with other people. From working through their discomfort with trying to have a conversation to navigating their nervousness when choosing dresses, they all work their way toward the big event by facing their fears head-on.

Is It Any Good?

The film offers a warmhearted, informative look at the routines, successes, and struggles people with Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism have when interacting with the mainstream world. But what stands out here is the self-awareness of the cast, who understand that they need extra help and coping mechanisms to function, and who do their best to articulate their anxieties and their desires. The insights offered by their parents and Dr. Amigo also offer a broader lens from which to see how they navigate their day-to-day lives.

Though both men and women are featured here, the fact that much of the story centers on three women leaves it feeling a bit uneven. However, this doesn't detract from the overall themes, which underscore how paralyzing basic social practices can be for people on the autism spectrum. It also shows how they, with the right support, can go to college, get jobs, and live independently. Overall, How to Dance In Ohio is a documentary that shows us how something as simple as a rite of passage can be life-changing to those who are challenged by life every day.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

• Families can talk about what it's like to live with autism spectrum disorder. What exactly is ASD? How can documentaries such as How to Dance In Ohio help people learn to understand it better?

• Documentaries often inform or raise awareness about things people may not know much about. Does this documentary successfully do this about people living with ASD?

• How does How to Dance In Ohio promote empathy and integrity? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

• In theaters: January 25, 2015
• On DVD or streaming: September 27, 2016
• Cast: Emilio Amigo, Caroline McKenzie, Jessica Sullivan
• Director: Alexandra Shiva
• Studio: HBO
• Genre: Documentary
• Character Strengths: Empathy, Integrity
• Run time: 89 minutes
• MPAA rating: NR
• Last updated: March 2, 2022

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It's like Fast and the Furious, only with breakdance instead of cars

7209 views

In 2006, the film "Step Up" was released - a musical drama about teenagers whose love of dancing brings them together and determines their future destiny. The film was the directorial debut for Ann Fletcher , who previously choreographed The Mask, was a breakthrough role for Channing Tatum's and an absolute hit with young people around the world, launching a dance pipeline on screen for the next ten years.

Let's remember the chronology of all steps forward, wiping tears of nostalgia for Sean Paul.

Year 2006, "Step forward"

Before "Step Up", Channing Tatum managed to play in the sports drama "Coach Carter", light up in "War of the Worlds" from by Tom Cruise and play in a free adaptation of Shakespeare's She's the Man, but it was after the role of street dancer Tyler Gage that the actor woke up famous.

What is the movie about?

The plot of Step Up is the classic Lady and the Tramp story. Tyler Gage is an unlucky young man who has been acting out with his friends at the local school theater. While doing his assigned community service at the same school, Tyler spots Nora Clarke (played by dancer Jenna Dewan ), a dance student for the Arts Review.

The piano, which jumped out of the bushes at the most opportune moment, falls right on the foot of Nora's dance partner and he cannot perform. Nora's boyfriend refuses to help, and the auditions also fail to find a new partner. And here Tyler, a street breakdancer and part-time handsome, offers his help. In the process of rapprochement, the characters will survive a break in relations, the death of loved ones at the hands of criminal elements, but in return they will gain the meaning of life and, as a bonus, each other.

Everything will end with a passionate performance of a couple in front of a high dance Areopagus, which, of course, will enroll both heroes in dance groups: Nora - in a professional troupe, Tyler - in the best dance school.

Final dance, "Step forward", 2006

Main Event

However, the cutest thing that happened in Step Up was not a happy ending at all. The leading actors really fell in love with each other and started dating. 3 years later, in the summer of 2009th, Channing and Jenna got married, and in 2013 they had a daughter, Everly Elizabeth Maisel Tatum.

True, the fairy tale ended up not having such a happy ending - in April 2018, the couple announced a divorce. But you can always pretend not to notice the last phrase.

Commercial success

The film was a resounding success among the audience (mostly, of course, teenagers and young girls) and at the same time absolutely humiliating critics' ratings: 20% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes and 48 points on Metacritic. At the same time, "Step Up" earned more than $110 million at the box office (with a budget of $12) and almost $50 million more brought in DVD sales.

The release of the first part of Twilight is still two years away, so the story of Tyler and Nora becomes the main topic of girls' sighs and discussions in all high schools on the planet. The producers, meanwhile, are already hard at work on the sequel.

Main song

Of course, since the film was a musical, "Step Up" had a powerful soundtrack, which eventually climbed to the sixth line of the Billboard chart of the most popular albums at the end of the year.

Title song became " Give it up to me " by Sean Paul and Keisha Cole. Also tell me you didn't twist your butt to her at parties.

Sean Paul - Give It Up To Me (feat. Keyshia Cole) [Disney Version] (Official Video)

Year 2008, Step Up 2: The Streets

The sequel comes out two years later, in February 2008, with the only thing that links the picture to the original film being the title and themes. The creators write a new love story in the old way around completely different characters, but at the same time maintain a certain continuity of generations: the hero of Channing Tatum also appears in the second film, but only in an episode that does not really affect the plot.

This time both main roles are performed by professional dancers, Brian Evigan and Robert Hoffman . And if for Briana the role in Step 2 was the first significant one in her career, then Robert had already appeared in several films before this filming, including the second part of Dirty Dancing and another movie on the same theme, Street Dancing.

But the funny thing is that Hoffman went through almost the same cinematic path as Tatum: both starred before "Step Up" in the series "C.S.I.: Miami Crime Scene Investigation", the comedy "She's the Man" and the drama "Coach Carter". The producers seemed to take too literally the words that they needed to find a suitable replacement for the actor from the first film.

What is the movie about?

The plot of the second part revolves around Andy West, a street dancer from Baltimore and a member of the 4-1-0 team, who is preparing to take part in a mysterious dance battle called "The Streets". The tournament will take place no one knows when and no one knows where: all participants just need to receive an SMS with the venue one day. Andy meets Chase Collins, with whom they form their own team of dancers from among their friends.

Andy's former party, the guys from "4-1-0", of course, do not like the appearance of competitors and a further plot is built around the confrontation between the two teams. It all ends with an epic performance by the team of Andy and Chase at the long-awaited "Streets" tournament in the pouring rain of Baltimore.

Main Event

No options here: the appearance in the series of Robert Alexander III, nicknamed "Moose", the role of which is played by professional dancer Adam Sevani .

Sevani, an Armenian by origin, has been dancing since childhood. Already at the age of 12, he starred in commercials, and then appeared in the videos of Will Smith, Missy Elliott and T-Pain. In Step Up, Sevani plays a humble nerd who suddenly turns out to be one of the coolest dancers Andy has ever met. Of course, she invites Moose to join her team.